RMC CEO speaks about negotiations with STPH

Dear Editor:

After hearing the response from the public, Riverside Medical Center is making one final attempt to seek a formal, binding agreement with St. Tammany Parish Hospital regarding their operation of Family Medical Clinic. At the Riverside Medical Center Board meeting on Jan. 29 the Riverside Board of Commissioners approved a resolution expressing its desire for St. Tammany Parish Hospital to return to negotiations — specifically, to enact a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 46:1077 and health care privacy laws.

For additional background on what has led Riverside Medical Center to these current circumstances, below is a time table of events outlining what has happened:

• July 7, 2014, members of Family Medical Clinic approached the Washington Parish Council to enact a 20-year resolution. This resolution was not approved by Riverside Medical Center.

• Aug. 25, 2014, a public meeting of the Washington Parish Council directed Riverside Medical Center and St. Tammany Parish Hospital to work on a mutually beneficial agreement. Mr. William Jones said this needed to be done expeditiously in a 30-day window.

• Board members of Riverside Medical Center and St. Tammany Parish Hospital met to discuss plans for an agreement on Sept. 12, 2014. Both parties felt positive about the meeting and recommended a follow up meeting with board members, administration and general counsel for additional discussion.

• Board members, general counsel and the CEOs of Riverside Medical Center and St. Tammany Parish Hospital met on Sept. 18, 2014. A verbal, mutually acceptable agreement was reached. After close of the meeting, the attorneys discussed who would draft the agreement. Mr. Jones took the responsibility of drafting but refused to make it a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement.

• Mr. Matthew Brown reached out to Mr. Jones on Oct. 2, 2014, to inquire as to the status of the agreement. Mr. Jones responded that he had just completed the most extensive agreement in St. Tammany Parish Hospital history and would turn full attention to drafting the Riverside Medical Center/St. Tammany Parish Hospital agreement.

• On Nov. 14, 2014, Riverside Medical Center received the St. Tammany Parish Hospital draft of the Memorandum of Understanding. It was an extensive 14-page document, mostly favorable to St. Tammany Parish Hospital, with requirements that had not previously been discussed. The document was reviewed at the Nov. 20, 2014, board meeting, and the attorney was given specific changes by the board, which he began to draft in the form of a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement, according to LA RS 46:1077.

• On Jan. 9, 2015, a revised draft was sent to St. Tammany Parish Hospital, which very simply outlined what had been agreed to at the Sept. 18 meeting. Subsequently, St. Tammany Parish Hospital officials accused Riverside Medical Center and the board of stalling.

• Jan. 13, 2015, the board of Riverside Medical Center received an ultimatum from St. Tammany Parish Hospital instructing Riverside Medical Center to sign the Memorandum of Understanding as presented by Jan. 23, 2015, at 3 p.m., or the negotiations would end, and St. Tammany Parish Hospital would cease operating Family Medical Clinic on or before Oct. 27, 2015.

• Jan. 19, 2015, the Riverside Medical Center board held an emergency meeting to discuss the ultimatum. 

The board passed a resolution requesting a meeting between the hospital boards resulting in a resolution and letter sent to St. Tammany Parish Hospital. The resolution and a letter were sent to St. Tammany Parish Hospital on Jan. 20, 2015.

• St. Tammany Parish Hospital denied the request for the board members to meet and demanded Riverside Medical Center furnish a detailed list of the issues by Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 at 3 p.m.

• On Jan. 21, 2015, after being denied a meeting with St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s board, Riverside Medical Center responded with the following two issues, though were willing to accept other provisions: 1)Remove the reporting requirements imposed by St. Tammany Parish Hospital; and 2) revise the dispute resolution process to protect Riverside Medical Center and the residents of Washington Parish to state that if the Memorandum of Understanding is terminated, St. Tammany Parish Hospital would have 18 months to relocate.

• On Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, at 3:15 p.m., Riverside Medical Center received a response from St. Tammany Parish Hospital that they had revoked their offer after it had expired and was no longer subject to acceptance, though the St. Tammany Parish Hospital board would take into consideration Riverside Medical Center’s response and requested revisions at their Jan. 26 meeting but by no means was this to be considered a new offer or negotiations.

• On Jan. 27, 2015, Riverside Medical Center learned in an article published in the newspaper that St. Tammany Parish Hospital was announcing publically that Family Medical Clinic would cease operations in Franklinton, Louisiana, on or before Oct. 27, 2015, before receiving any prior direct notification from St. Tammany Parish Hospital. Furthermore, Riverside discovered in the minutes of the St. Tammany Parish Facilities meeting of Jan. 12, 2015, that St. Tammany Parish Hospital had authorized its representatives to immediately seek to find a new location for Family Medical Clinic, one day before St. Tammany Parish Hospital submitted the ultimatum to Riverside Medical Center on Jan. 13.

As you can see, the Riverside Medical Center Board of Commissioners and hospital administration have made repeated attempts to negotiate in good faith. However, Riverside is unable to approve a Memorandum of Understanding that requires reporting of patient information that would violate federal patient privacy laws. Further, according to state law a Memorandum of Understanding is not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the law. Our desire is to enact a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement, in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 46:1077, that would allow the continued operation of Family Medical Clinic in Franklinton. If St. Tammany Parish Hospital would like to continue delivering world-class health care to their patients in Washington Parish, we sincerely welcome them to contact Riverside Medical Center by noon on Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, expressing its desire to enact a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement.

Both Riverside Medical Center and Family Medical Clinic are a vital part of health care delivery in this area. Riverside is excited about the growth of this hospital and health care delivery, with the expansion of existing services and addition of new services. These include the opening of the new Family Care Clinic, expanding the Riverside Pediatric and Internal Medicine Clinic, adding additional physicians and nurse practitioners, building a new cath lab, establishing an in-house pharmacy for its employees and staff and continuing to recruit other physicians, nurse practitioners and other specialists. We welcome Family Medical Clinic and St. Tammany Parish Hospital to be a part of this growth.

– Thank you,

E. Kyle Magee, M.D.

CEO

Riverside Medical Center

STPH Termination Resolution

The document below is a resolution from the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Board of Directors regarding Riverside Medical Center and terminating STPH's contract with Family Medical Clinic.

Click this link to view the six page document (document may take a few minutes to load)

Family Medical Clinic to leave Franklinton

The following is an ad in the January 28, 2015 edition of The Era-Leader newspaper from St. Tammany Parish Hospital regarding Family Medical Clinic of Franklinton

January 28, 2015

To Our Washington Parish Patients and Families,
We are sad to report that St. Tammany Parish Hospital must end operation of Family Medical Clinic when our current agreement expires October 27, 2015. Our mission is to deliver world-class healthcare to our patients, close to home, and operation of the clinic through employment of Drs. Berthelot, James, Foret and Battles has been a perfect example of that mission.

All Family Medical Clinic patients should rest assured that while our ability to operate the clinic may end, our commitment to the mission will not. Each patient under our care will receive notification of their physician's new office location as soon as possible.

We have worked for months to secure a resolution that would enable St. Tammany Parish Hospital to continue caring for the community in Family Medical Clinic on Riverside Drive in Franklinton, as we have  since 2003. While we were successful in securing a five-year extension from the Washington Parish Council, we were not able to secure an agreement with Riverside Medical Center. We are saddened for the people who live and work in Franklinton and throughout Washington Parish to lose this convenient location.

The St. Tammany Parish Hospital family takes pride in treating our patients as family too. We thank the Washington Parish Council and the residents of the Franklinton area for their tremendous support of Family Medical Clinic for more than a decade. And we ask each of our patients to be attuned to hear from us regarding their doctor's relocation.

Sincerely,

Patti Ellis, STPH President/CEO   Dr. Libeau Berthelot   Dr. Mark James   Dr. Chris Foret   Dr. Caroline Battles

Wise and the Heartbreak Orchestra Return to Franklinton

Cody Wise and The Heartbreak Orchestra will perform live in concert at Bowling Green School in Franklinton, LA.  A 2003 graduate of BGS, Cody will bring his popular show to the school on Saturday, November 22 at 7:00 p.m.

The Heartbreak Orchestra will feature a special performance by David Fontana, son of Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame drummer D.J. Fontana. The elder Fontana served as Elvis Presley's drummer for 14 years. The performance includes Elvis hits from the 50s, his 68 Comeback Special and 70s and features three costume changes and an intermission.

Cody last performed in Franklinton to a sold-out audience at the 1010 Club and again at the Washington Parish Fair.

During his time as an Elvis tribute artist, Cody has played in venues that include the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, MS, the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, FL, the Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis, MS and the Florida State Fair. He's also performed in Las Vegas, Nevada, Presley's hometown of Tupelo, MS and Memphis, TN which was home to Elvis and his Graceland mansion. In 2013, Cody was also selected to play the part of Elvis in the Broadway hit Million Dollar Quartet.

Tickets for the November 22 performance can be purchased at Bowling Green School, Shirts-n-Things in Franklinton and Citizens Savings Bank (Franklinton and Bogalusa). Tickets are on sale now for $20 when purchased in advance or $25 at the door.

Cody Wise and the Heartbreak Orchestra will perform at Bowling Green School on Saturday, November 22

BGS to host Veterans Day Program

Friday, November 7^th, Bowling Green School will celebrate Veterans Day.  We will begin with breakfast in the cafeteria at 8:15 then move to the gym for our special program for 9:00. 

Immediately following the program, there will be a Service for Dignified Disposal of Unserviceable American Flags. 

If you have a tattered flag and would like it to be part of this special ceremony, please drop the flag off at the school or at The American Legion. BGS encourages all Veterans and their spouses to join us in honoring the men and women who has served our country.

November Is Native American Month

Washington Parish President Richard Ned Thomas joined in the support of the Museums of Cassidy Park and the Intertribal Council of Louisiana's Nov. 8 Native American Cultural Day by proclaiming the entire month of November “Native American Month,” and Nov. 8 “Native American Cultural Day” in the parish.

Thomas presented the proclamations to ITCL Director Kevin Billiot and MCP President Jo Ann Miller during the parish council meeting on Oct. 27.

The joint project will bring representatives of seven Louisiana tribes to Bogalusa's Cassidy Park to educate visitors about the culture and to demonstrate traditional dance, games, crafts and more. Individuals will be able to check out replicas of traditional dwellings and to ask questions in the intimate setting, and everybody will get a chance to take part in the fun and games.

Traditional craft items and food will be available for purchase, but admission to the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. event is free of charge.

The proclamation notes, in part, that Native Americans were the first explorers and settlers of the area that now makes up Washington Parish; that large numbers of Native Americans have defended the security of the United States by serving in the armed forces; and that “the unique spiritual, artistic and literary contributions of Native Americans, together with their vibrant customs and celebrations, enliven and enrich our land.”

Thomas also notes that Native American Cultural Day on Nov. 8 at Cassidy Park offers a rare learning opportunity, and he asks all parish citizens to join in the celebration of the “history, heritage and culture of the native people of this great country.”

Cutline information: Washington Parish President Richard Ned Thomas, left, presents a proclamation declaring November “Native American Month” and November 8 “Native American Cultural Day” in the parish to Intertribal Council of Louisiana Director Kevin Billiot and Museums of Cassidy Park President Jo Ann Miller. The ITCL and MCP are partnering to present Native American Cultural Day in Cassidy Park.

Parish President Richard Thomas presented proclamations to ITCL Director Kevin Billiot and MCP President Jo Ann Miller during the parish council meeting on Oct. 27.

Robinson, Magee meet in SEC clash

Franklinton's Josh Robinson and Terrence Magee were on opposite sidelines Saturday night as Mississippi State took on LSU in Tiger Stadium. The two are former teammates from the 2010 FHS state championship team. Robinson was a running back while Magee quarterbacked the Demons to the state title.

Robinson carried 16 times for 197 yards in Mississippi State's win over eighth-ranked LSU. He scored the Bulldogs second touchdown to give MSU a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Magee also got in on the big plays by completing a halfback pass for 44 yards to wide receiver Malachi Dupre. He also caught four passes for 29 yards.

Mississippi State defeated LSU 34-29 on Saturday to break a 14 game LSU winning streak against the Bulldogs.

Josh Robinson (13) takes off on a 66 yard run against the LSU Tigers.

Magee to Represent LSU at SEC Media Days

SEC Media Days begin Monday, July 14 and run through Thursday, July 17. The annual event is a prelude to the upcoming football season and brings players and head coaches together from each of the 14 SEC member schools.

A trio of LSU Tigers will take center stage Wednesday along with Head Coach Les Miles at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Hoover, Alabama. Franklinton's Terrence Magee is one of three Tigers chosen by Miles to represent LSU.

Magee and others will face questions from the national media as well as one-on-one interviews with writers interested in learning more about the 2014 LSU Tigers. Offensive lineman La’el Collins and linebacker D.J. Welker are the other two student-athletes that Coach Miles chose to attend.

An all-state quarterback who led the Franklinton Demons to back-to-back state championship game appearances in 2009 and 2010, Magee enters his senior season at LSU as the leading returning rusher in an extremely talented backfield.

After patiently waiting for playing time his freshman and sophomore years, Magee took advantage of every opportunity in 2013 by rushing for 626 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. He was named the SEC Player of the Week after rushing for 149 yards and a touchdown in LSU's win over Texas A&M in 2013. Magee earned the Alvin Roy Fourth Quarter Award for outstanding performance in LSU's off-season program and the Eric Andolsek Leadership Award for his leadership role in spring drills.

Arguably the ultimate compliment comes from the LSU football website which describes Magee as the "consummate team player who serves as a role model for younger players".

Being selected to represent LSU at SEC Media Days is a tremendous honor for any student-athlete and the usually soft-spoken Magee shouldn't feel any pressure behind the microphones. The former FHS quarterback led his team to the school’s first state championship in 2010 while earning most every high school award in the process.

After numerous losses to the NFL draft, Magee will be looked to more as a leader by his teammates. The Tigers open regular-season play against Wisconsin on August 30 at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.

Former FHS Demon Terrence Magee to represent LSU at SEC Media Days

Linda Crain chosen as Citizen of the Year

Article and photo courtesy of Lucy Parker (Bogalusa Daily News)

Retired educator Linda Smith Crain is the 2013 Citizen of the Year for Franklinton.

The selection was made Monday, June 2, by a group of past Citizen of the Year honorees assembled in the Varnado Store Museum annex.

Once the voting process was complete, the group made some calls and discovered the honoree was at work at Crain Funeral Home, a business that is owned by Crain and her husband, Robert.

Thus, the members of the group jumped in their cars and went there to surprise her with the news.

Looking around at the others who have been named the Citizen of the Year, Crain said it makes her proud to be recognized among that distinguished group.

“I’m very humbled by this honor,” she said.

And as soon as she heard, she called her husband of 44 years to share the news with him. He told her he was so proud of her, she said.

Crain had a 30-year career in the Washington Parish School System, retiring 12 years ago as the principal at Franklinton Junior High. She also spent 15 years as a classroom teacher and is a past Enon Elementary principal.

“I loved every minute of it,” she said. “I was associated with so many hard-working and dedicated professionals.”

After her retirement, Crain got a chance to do a little traveling and has been able to spend lots of time with her grandchildren.

She and her husband have three children and seven grandchildren. She said she thoroughly enjoys being a MeMe and being involved in her grandchildren’s activities.

Her daughter, Susan Crain Bonner, and son-in-law, Chris, live in Mandeville with their children, Caroline and Christopher.

Her son, Rob Crain, and his wife, Kristi, live in Franklinton and have three boys, Wesley, Andrew and Jacob, while her son, Matt, and his wife, Heather, reside in Hernando, Miss., and have two children, Hannah Grace and Wilson.

A lifelong Franklinton resident, Crain said she loves the small-town atmosphere in the Fair City. She said she likes how she knows the people she sees in the grocery store, for instance.

“That’s the good thing about living in a small town — you know so many people,” she said.

Crain is an active member of First Baptist Church of Franklinton. She teaches the Ruth Sunday school class, helps facilitate a women’s Bible studies group at the church and is a member of the hand bell choir, in addition to her service to numerous other committees.

Franklinton High graduate Crain earned bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degrees in education at Southeastern Louisiana University and Louisiana State University.

She is the current vice president of the Washington Parish Retired Teachers’ Association and is presently serving as parliamentarian of Delta Kappa Gamma International Society, Beta Rho Chapter, a professional organization for women educators.

She is also a member of several social/civic clubs: the Waverly Club, of which she is a past president and current treasurer, the Winbury Club and the Magnolia Belles.

Past Citizen of the Year Mike Gill said Crain has made a great contribution to the community through her work in the schools and her church.

Further, he noted that the Citizen of the Year recognition is a way to show good deeds don’t go unnoticed.

“That’s what makes the community — all the good deeds everyone does,” he said.

In her nomination letter, Karen Spears of Franklinton discussed Crain’s dedication to her family and church and her active involvement in various community endeavors.

“Linda goes above and beyond the call to duty,” Spears wrote. “Her unspoken motto must surely be, ‘If a job is worth doing, then it must be done well!’ Close to perfection better suits her.

“I am pleased to nominate Linda Crain for Citizen of the Year. I feel she is most deserving of this honor.”

Linda Smith Crain, at right, is congratulated by past Franklinton Citizens of the Year Terry Seal and Mary Jo Poole.

Nobody Wins In Recent Tax Removal

Recently the Washington Parish Recreation District #1 Board of Directors decided to remove a property tax proposal from the May 3 ballot. The proposal was for the construction and operation of a new recreation complex that would have served Franklinton, Mt. Hermon, Pine, Enon, Hackley and other local communities.

The decision to remove the tax from the ballot was very difficult and only made after careful consideration and much prayer. The project has been in the works for the last six years by a group of seven dedicated volunteers appointed by the Washington Parish Council. These volunteers have given their time, efforts and even money in an attempt to provide much-needed opportunities for our communities.  

Nobody likes property taxes and it wouldn't have been the route the board chose to go if we would have known of other funding sources. We agree that a property tax isn't a way for everyone to equally share the cost and I respect those who were supportive or opposed. It seems like the majority agrees that the project is needed, but disagreed on the funding method. That's certainly understandable.

What the citizens of this recreation district hopefully realize is that we need to come up with a funding source that is agreeable to the majority and hopefully many more. Using St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parish residents as examples, they realize that if you want good recreation it's going to cost you something. If you want good roads it's going to cost you something. If you want good law enforcement it's going to cost you something. We can't sit back and wait for the government to write us a check so that everyone can realize the benefits of this. The fact is that this is going to cost people a little money if we want it to become a reality.

Chappapeela Park in Hammond (recently completed at $17 million for 90 acres) held their Strawberry Cup soccer tournaments on two consecutive weekends. They played a combined total of 276 soccer matches in four days. Meanwhile, our local children weren't able to play a single game during these days because the fields and parking areas were too wet. This isn't a knock on anyone involved with our local soccer association. It's simply an example of what we’re missing out on by having outdated facilities in all of our youth leagues. To try and update them is only putting a Band-Aid on the problem. When others are asked about their recreation parks, other communities speak of their parks with a source of pride. They see the benefits offered to their citizens and received from an economic standpoint.

After we removed the property tax from the May 3 ballot, it was easy to find comments on social media pages as well as in the newspaper with people boasting that "we won". The truth is nobody won. Our children are still playing in antiquated facilities, our businesses, schools system, hospital, etc. aren't receiving funds from what a new park would generate and there's still no solution for a funding source at the moment.

Hopefully we're still not stuck at a crossroads with this project in 20 years.  I know the recreation district board isn't throwing in the towel. We've had setbacks before and managed to find a solution to work through them, so quitting isn't an option.

 If someone has a recommendation then we hope they'll present it to us. Until a solution is found and this recreation complex is built, there are no winners in this matter.